2015-Jul 31: New powers under s293A of the Immigration Act 2009

Visa Pak 222 - Reminder about the new powers under s293A of the Immigration Act 2009.

Visa Paks

31 July 2015

New powers under s293A of the Immigration Act 2009

In May 2015, new amendments to the Immigration Act 2009 came into force. One of these amendments is a section under 293A giving Immigration Officers the power to apply for and execute search warrants. This is a new power Immigration Officers have never previously held and is a positive step forward for Investigators within the Compliance, Risk & Intelligence Services of Immigration New Zealand (INZ) who in the past have had to rely on the assistance of New Zealand Police to execute search warrants on their behalf.

This power is an important tool for an Investigator, in particular for gathering evidence to support an investigation and often a prosecution.

This power is only delegated to certain Immigration Officers in accordance with section 388(2) of the Immigration Act 2009 and has been approved by the Deputy Chief Executive for Immigration Officers holding the job title of “Investigator” or who are employed in an “investigation capacity” within INZ.